The season's first harvest

Did I tell you I pay my neighbor to clean up dog poop every Thursday morning at 6:45 am?

It's his business to clean up our dogs' business. Ever since we were added as his clientele I have felt relieved. One of my many burdens has been lifted. For some reason cleaning up the mess from the dogs always fell to me. I don't think that is how it should work, but if I left it to Jared we would never be able to send the kids out to play. In fact, I was out cleaning up poop while I was in labor with Katherine thinking, "maybe I should just give birth under the tree and return to the fields this evening..."

Now that that hassle is out of my way I have time to focus on more complex issues of yard maintenance. From my kitchen window I see the grass beginning to green and I feel hopeful that the dry winter didn't kill off too much of it. But this afternoon I actually ventured out and to my surprise (not really... disappointment is more like it) I realized the bulk of greenery in the yard is from dandelions, not grass.

**NOTE** for all you people with lush beautiful lawns, don't judge mine. It is at least 30 years old and has to compete with trees, volunteer saplings, a sprinkler system that is less than adequate, dogs, children, and dandelions.

So after spending an hour harvesting dandelions with my old steak knife I stopped and looked around to see only 3 million left to go. I have to hurry before the turn to seed and compound the problem.

Why the steak knife? Because that's what Bogda uses. But don't tell her I pay someone to clean up the poop-- she would never forgive me for that.